The present invention relates in general to a gaming device having a bonus game, and more particularly to a gaming device having an interactive matrix bonus game.
Games have provided hours of excitement and enjoyment to people for many years. As a result, games have become a significant form of entertainment in society. One game that has provided entertainment to people is Tic Tac Toe.
Tic Tac Toe generally involves two people competing against each other to complete the game. However, in some versions of the game, a player may play against a computer. The game generally includes a three by three grid and two different symbols such as an “X” and an “O.” Each player chooses one of the symbols, either the “X” or the “O.” One of the players goes first and places one of their symbols in one of the squares in the three by three grid. Then, the other player places one of their symbols in the grid. The players alternate turns until one of the players has three of their symbols aligned horizontally, vertically or along a diagonal in the grid. In some games, neither player is able to align three of their symbols in a row, vertically or along a diagonal. In these situations, the game ends in a tie. Because Tic Tac Toe is a very popular game, it continues to provide excitement and enjoyment to game players all over the world.
Similarly, gaming devices such as casino games are also a very popular form of entertainment. There are a wide variety of gaming devices in the gaming and entertainment industry. Some gaming devices incorporate mechanical devices, such as reels having various symbols, and provide an award to a player when certain results are achieved on such devices. Other gaming devices incorporate video screens in combination with the mechanical devices to increase the players' enjoyment of the games.
One gaming device, U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,714, discloses an interactive Tic-Tac-Toe slot machine. In this patent, the slot machine includes three parallel reels having two different configurations, such as an “X” and an “O.” A blank symbol is also included on the reels. A player spins the reels to obtain a winning combination on the reels. A winning combination on the reels includes three symbols aligned horizontally, vertically or diagonally on the reels. Furthermore, the slot machine can be played with one to eight coins. The amount of coins inputted by the player determines the possible winning combinations available to the player in the game. The player receives the maximum number of possible winning combinations in the game if the player wagers the maximum number of coins.
It should be appreciated that providing new gaming devices that incorporate physical aspects into games, increases player excitement and enjoyment. Players enjoy playing games that the player can physically see, touch and hear. Thus, it is desirable to provide new gaming devices that include physical aspects and components in games.